The invention relates to a goal frame for soccer or other games which require a goal mounted at ground level assembled of light metal sections. The bar profile and post profiles are formed of mitered hollow sections firmly interconnected by corner pieces which are disposed and retained, in the area of the miters, within the hollow sections. The corner pieces are generally formed from double T-sections, and have fastened, in the corner area of the assembled sections, holding devices for the support of the net. The goal frames are generally further provided, in the longitudinal direction of the section walls pointing towards the backside of the goal, a slot in which are disposed mutually spaced hooks to fasten the net, the ends of the post sections generally being insertable into ground sockets of the same material.
Goal frames of the kind described above are known. The corner angles are connected to the posts and to the bar by several cap screws after insertion in the hollow sections. To accommodate the cap screws, the bar and post sections have holes and corner angle tapped holes. However, assembling the post and bar takes a great deal of time and effort because the tapped holes do not always align when the section corners have been moved together. In addition, the screws are easily lost. Moreover, the stability of the corner connection made in the known manner is not high.
In the known designs, a net yoke with a brace is used as a holding device for the net. The assembly of the net holding device is cumbersome because the components must be fastened in a guide rail on the main sections by means of screws and U-washers.
The guide rail in the known goal frames is a C-slot which extends through the bar and post sections and serves to seat slot nuts in which individual hooks are screwed to hold the net. Apart from the fact that the slot weakens the goal frame sections because it must be very deep, it is very time-consuming and complicated to fasten the various net hooks. About 70 to 80 hooks and slot nuts must be assembled and distributed evenly over the entire perimeter of the goal frame. Furthermore, the hooks are usually spaced no closer than about 300 mm apart, resulting in the net sagging in many places.
Then, after the hook screws are tightened, the hook openings are oriented in different directions, which make hanging the net difficult.
Another disadvantage is that the net hooks so fastened project beyond the goal frame contour. This may readily result in injuries to the players.
To erect the goals, the post ends are inserted into sockets anchored in concrete foundations so that the goal post ends can be removed again from the ground sockets, particularly in winter, and disassembled. In practice, grains of sand and small stones, etc. tend to get between the walls of the inserted post ends and the inside walls of the sockets preventing removal of the posts. The post ends are very tightly seated in the sockets in order to keep the frame in an upright position. The small clearance has the further disadvantage that when erecting or removing the goal, the two post ends must always be moved evenly and vertically to prevent their jamming in the sockets. Therefore, once a goal has been erected, it is hardly possible to take it out of its sockets again.
It is an object of the invention to provide a goal frame which is easy to assemble and disassemble, has great stability and is designed to reduce accident hazards.